REPORTS

The Economic contribution of the UK Life Sciences industry​ reflects our sector’s key role in contributing to the UK economy. The average productivity of UK Life Sciences employees, expressed as Gross Value Added (GVA), is £104,000 compared to the UK GVA average of £49,000. Other key findings in the report include: UK Life Sciences contributed £30.7bn to the economy in 2015, providing an estimated tax contribution of £8.6bn to the exchequer; each Life Sciences job supports 2.5 jobs elsewhere in the UK economy, meaning the sector supports a total of 482,000 jobs; jobs are distributed throughout the UK, with every region containing a UK head office of a Life Sciences firm; and major clusters of Life Sciences activity can be found in East Anglia, Wales, and the South East of England.(PwC March 2017)

Building our Industrial Strategy This Green Paper* sets out the government’s strategy to address long-term challenges to the UK economy, including billions of pounds worth of investment in life sciences and technology and an education system with new technical qualifications for people who want an alternative to university.HM Government January 2017
(BELS Ed: A green paper is a preliminary report of government proposals that is published in order to provoke discussion. BELS is providing input on the Life Science Industrial Strategy in collaboration with the American Pharmaceuticals Group for which we interviewed 10 members of the BELS community to solicit their insights and suggestions for improving the UK life science sector.)

Antimicrobial resistance: The State of the Nation report on UK R&D Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most important issues facing the global healthcare community. The failure to find a solution threatens the very heart of modern medicine. Without concerted and coordinated international action we could be faced with a situation where common infections are once again fatal. The UK hasa real chance to lead the way in combatting AMR. We have a commitment and passion that has already forced the pace of international action. But we will have to do more if we are to make any real impact on this global issue. This report is a snapshot of the current state of the nation of R&D in the UK, focused on tackling the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.PwC’s Strategy& November 2016

Accelerated Access Review This Review recommends to government ways to accelerate access for NHS patients to innovative medicines, medical technologies, diagnostics and digital products. It aims to take years off the drug development process and to make the UK is the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these innovations.Led by an independent chair, Sir Hugh Taylor, and supported by Sir John Bell as Chair of the External Advisory GroupOctober 2016

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Annual Review 2015/16 highlights statistics on UK industry growth. Investment in 2015 was over £400m at year end compared to £35m in 2012. There were 42 cell and gene therapy developers in the UK and half of those were considered to be rapidly growing their R&D activities. This represents growth of 90 percent in the number of developers since 2012. Employment in the sector more than doubled from 540 in 2012 to over 1000 at the end of 2015 and growing. The number of cell and gene therapy clinical trials in the UK grew 50% from 2013. The size of the highly specialised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standard manufacturing footprint for cell and gene therapies grew 50% from 2013.Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult Sept 21, 2016

Accelerated Development and Access to Innovative Medicines for PatientsThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) brought together experts from across the sector to assess and discuss the performance of various efforts designed to accelerate patient access to innovative products such as targeted cancer drugs, T-cell-based cancer immunotherapies, and cell and gene therapies, and how the NHS might respond to current innovation challenges. While such products embody health benefits and commercial opportunities, they are different from the kind of small molecules that went before, presenting challenges around how they are regulated, assessed and commissioned for use in the NHS. This report summarises the presentations and perspectives of the MHRA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the life science industry, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, academia, research charities, patient organisations and investment firms.Report on joint MHRA & BIA Conference held in London May 4, 2016

Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report & Recommendations Jim O’Neill’s final report discusses the rising problem of antimicrobial resistance and offers cross-sector recommendations to reduce the overuse of antimicrobials, prevent infections, make better use of current treatments, and increase the supply of new treatments. It also stresses the need for global public awareness.The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, chaired by Jim O’Neill. Report commissioned by UK Prime Minister. May 2016

Wellcome Trust Monitor Report Wave 3: Tracking public views on science and biomedical research The Wellcome Trust Monitor examines how the public understands and views medical research. Through interviews with a sample of the UK population every three years since 2009, the Monitor enables the medical and scientific community to understand themes such as public trust in medical information, participation in medical research and levels of knowledge and understanding. The public express high levels of interest in medical research. Around three-quarters of the public say they are interested in medical research, which is a high level of interest, consistent with previous waves. Women, older adults, those with higher educational qualifications, and those who know more about science are more likely to be interested in medical research. The public are particularly interested in the development of new drugs, vaccines and treatments, as well as mental health.Ipsos MORI & Wellcome Trust April 2016

Transforming UK Life Science Sites—A Toolkit for Action In considering how the UK can make use of both the sites formerly occupied by Big Pharma and the people they once employed, this report provides a single first source of information and advice for those involved in supporting the growth of life science sites in the UK. It shares best practice from case studies from the UK and around the world; provides key questions and issues to consider; and lists further sources of information and support. It is targeted at an audience of stakeholders, from both the public and private sectors, who are actively involved in creating new life science sites, growing existing ones, and repurposing those undergoing change.Office for Life Sciences March 2016

The One-Way Mirror: Public attitudes to commercial access to health data The public need to have confidence in how their patient records are used for research, and this will require both openness and transparency. Research has shown that the public are generally supportive of research using health information, but there is little understanding of what this actually means in practice. The Wellcome Trust commissioned Ipsos MORI to undertake research into public attitudes towards commercial organisations accessing health, medical and genetic data. In understanding more about these attitudes, Wellcome aims to inform the development of good data governance and communications about how data can and cannot be used, to help build a trustworthy system for the use of patient data in research.Ipsos MORI report prepared for Wellcome Trust March 2016

The State of the UK Healthcare & Life Sciences Sectors—Myths, Realities & Challenges Facts, data and case studies demonstrate how and where investors have made money from the sector. Includes analysis of the myths, misconceptions and realities of the investment sector; capital market perspectives from the London Stock Exchange; market overview and assessment provided by EY Investor; and insight from Neil Woodford.Biotech & Money January 2016

Celebrating UK Bioscience This report provides snapshots of some exemplar past and present UK bioscience successes to help illuminate where the sector is shaping scientific innovation and delivering benefits to patients, including Humira, Lemtrada, Keytruda, the first PARP inhibitor, StaR® technology, and Oxitec’s genetically engineered mosquitoes. These case studies help to illuminate a wider UK bioscience success story. Large parts of the global innovation in modern drug development are rooted in the UK. The core development of many key blockbuster drugs changing patients’ lives today happened in the UK. Looking forward, the UK is at the heart of the development of a new generation of genetically targeted personalised medicines and cancer immunotherapy, as well as the science tools and platforms underpinning these game-changing therapies.UK BioIndustry Association June 2015

Strategy for UK Life Sciences The Government’s strategy report focuses on applying biology in healthcare applications and explains how the UK will become the global hub for life sciences in the future, providing an unrivalled ecosystem that brings together business, researchers, clinicians and patients to translate discovery into clinical use for medical innovation within the NHS. The UK will provide an environment and infrastructure that supports pioneering researchers and clinicians to bring innovation to market earlier and more easily, making the UK the location of choice for investment. Life sciences will continue to be vibrant in the UK and will be a key contributor to sustained economic growth.Dept for Business, Innovation & Skills; & Office for Life Sciences December 5, 2011

The UK Biotechnology Industry and the Public Markets, 2015/16: World class science, world class investment opportunities The UK is at the cutting edge of a global market [with] a world class science base and has produced blockbuster pharmaceutical products… two of the world’s top three universities for life sciences – taking first and joint second place – and together, UK scientists have been awarded over 80 Nobel Prizes. This strong science and research base underpins a life sciences industry comprising over 4,300 companies and their sites developing, manufacturing and marketing products and services to the UK and global markets. The UK has the largest pipeline of new pharmaceutical product candidates in Europe, developing over 580 product candidates in 2015.UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) January 2016

Building the third global cluster: State of the Nation 2015 2014 was a banner year for UK bioscience, raising £1.2bn in innovation capital, 143% up on 2013, and the best financing year ever in terms of innovation capital – defined as equity capital raised by firms with annual revenues under $500m, ie £304m per annum. This banner year would not be possible without the fundamental strengths of the overall fiscal ecosystem that, coupled with its science base, make the UK an attractive hub for this innovative sector. This year’s report highlights the important role that the Biomedical Catalyst plays in filling a crucial structural gap in the investment pathway, early in company development where private sector investors will not venture alone.Ernst & Young (EY) & UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) October 2015

UK Biotech A 10 year horizon This joint collaboration between the BIA and Evaluate to examine the performance of the UK biotech industry over the past decade. The report provides a detailed view of the industry between 2005 and 2014 and highlights trends in M&A, drug approvals, venture financing and IPOs. The report also exhibits the strength of the UK biotech sector by identifying drugs that were originated in the UK and have been subsequently approved in the US over the last 10 years.Evaluate & UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) July 2015